Bournemouth chairman Eddie Mitchell is confident the club can avoid being wound up.

Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs have issued the League Two club with a winding-up petition relating to an unpaid tax bill of £314,000 - with a hearing set for March 31.

But Mitchell confirmed at a fans' forum on Thursday night that £100,000 of that figure will be paid shortly and has also assured supporters the remaining debt will be cleared without a hitch.

"When we took on the club six months ago we owed in excess of £600,000 and we've now got that down to £300,000," he told Sky Sports News. "That has been raised purely by initiatives by the club. The club is going completely the right way.

"We are confident by the time the order is issued we will have found the money to clear it."

The League Two club, who have been under a transfer embargo for the entire season, are making a mockery of their off-field problems this season and are flying high in the automatic promotion places.

Meanwhile, Southend have once again refused to comment on a report suggesting their players have not been paid their monthly wages.

Sky Sports claim the struggling League One side have failed to pay the squad for February but when contacted, a Southend spokesman said the club would not be making any comment on the issue.